Envelope transfer and feeding mechanism



June 13, 1939. A. NOVICK ENVELOPE TRANSFER AND FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed July 6, 1936 7 Sheets- Sheet l June 13,1939. A. NOVICK ENVELOPE TIRANSFER AND FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed July 6, 1936' 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 RM m ww w

1 A m NT 0 M Y B June-13, 1939. NovlcK 2,162,666

ENVELOPE TRANSFER AND FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed July 6, 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Q Aha/2am Nov/ck BY Q #QOQ:

ATTORNEYS June 13, 1939. ov c 2,162,666

ENVELOPE TRANSFER AND FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed July 6, 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet'4 INVENIOR. Abra/7am N0 v/ck.

ATTORNEYS June 13, 1939. A. Novlck 2,162,666

ENVELOPE TRANSFER AND FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed July 6,1936 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Abraham N0 v/ck.

BY IZLW9LM ATTORNEY 5 June 13, 1939. A N WCK 2,162,666

ENVELOPE TRANSFER AND FEEDING MECHANISM Original Filed July 6, 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 @Z Cu 6 6 63 f 75 R3 I 7 I/ 7 4 55 Z0 f L I :1 .42 50 57 N M o INVENTOR. Abraham Nowc/r.

' ATTORNEY 5 A. NOVICK 2,162,666

ENVELOPE TRANSFER A ND FEEDING MECHANISM June 13, 1939.

Original Filed July 6, 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR. Abra/7am Nov/ck.

ATTORNEYS Patented June 13, 1939 UNITED STATES ENVELOPE TRANSFER' AND FEEDING MECHANISM Abraham Novick, Flushing, N. Y., assignor to F. L. Smithe Machine Co.,.Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 6 1936, Serial No. 89,083 Renewed November 10, 1938 22 Claims.

This invention relates to the fabrication of envelopes and similar planiform articles, especially to mechanism for transferring or feeding such articles seriatim from stack formation, and more particularly the invention has for an object to provide for effecting the transfer individually of each article at a time when it occupies the topmost position in a stack of the articles, continuously maintained at a constant level by suitable means.

Another object of the invention is to provide for the initiation of such successive transfers by elevating each article in an arcuate pathto a higher level at which it is delivered tangentially to conveyor means running in a substantially right-line path, at substantially right-angles to the axis of the stack, and which run the planiform articles are re-aligned and advanced for further fabrication as individuals, following one another in said last-named path.

A cognate object is to provide a series of cooperating instrumentalities for individualizing the articles, including separating means to free an edge of each blank as it reaches the top of the stack, a sucker to elevate this free edge, one or more oscillating arms to take the free edge from the sucker and feed it against a rotor the periphery of which defines the arcuate transfer path, and the series of rollers between which and tually the entire blank is advanced and its individualization completed, these instrumentalities being so coordinated as to accomplish the transfer with unusual speed and freedom from error. n Still another object is to provide a novel and improved means for actuating transfer rotors of the above-mentioned type in a machine of the class described, with means for varying their speed ratio in conjunction with cooperating in- 40 strumentalities; also improved devices for separating the individual blanks from the rotors as they approach the region of delivery to the aforesaid right-line tangent run of mechanism; and means for effecting accurate alignment as the blanks are transferred to the chain-belt conveyor on this run.

A further general object of the invention is to provide for sturdy construction of the respective instrumentalities so that the machine as a whole will be light-running at high speeds; also to so organize the controlling cams, levers, gears, and other instrumentalities that they will be readily adjustable, and will be exposed for inspection and replacement whenever occasion may arise.

55 Further and more specific objects, features and.

the rotor the free edge is first engaged and evenadvantages will more clearly appear when the specification hereinafter is considered and is taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form part of the specification and well illustrate a present preferred form which the in- .5 vention may assume.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical, sectional elevation of a somewhat schematic character, illustrating a feed or transfer mechanism embodying the .10 present invention as applied to a machine for fabricating envelopes and like planiform articles;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, detail view in vertical sectional elevation of a cam device and associated mechanism for effecting timed operation of cerl5 tain of the working parts;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, detail view of part of a tensioning means for analigning belt;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, detail View in elevation, with a portion sectioned, of two of the feeding 20 rotors provided for transferring the articles in an arcuate portion of their path;

Fig. 5 is a View in rear elevation of the transfer mechanism as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig, 6 shows the same in plan; 25

Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 6, certain supporting parts, including the frame, being omitted for clearness of illustration;

Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the working parts in another operative position;

Figs. 9 and 10 are views of a similar character each illustrating a distinctive operative position of that part of the mechanism which is shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 11 likewise shows one position of the foregoing mechanism;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary detail view in vertical section of a series of gears illustrated in their assembled position of association with driven shaft and sleeve elements, upon which the rotors are mounted adjustably.

Generally and briefly considered in its broader aspects, the invention involves the combination in a mechanism for transferring or feeding planiform articles such as envelope blanks, with a means for supporting a stack of said articles in a given upright path, and means for elevating a stack of the articles to bring each successively to a constant level stop at the top of the path, v of a means for transferring each successively topmost article individually in an arcuate path to a higher level, and thence to a tangent extension of said path, there to be delivered seriatim for further fabrication. I 355 The general organization of the instrumentalities provided for these purposes is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 5 and 6, referring particularly to which figures at present, the part designated generally by the reference character F is the frame of the machine, comprising side members I I and I2, cross rods l4-2ll, etc., and shafts to be described, hereinafter, while S designates generally an assembly of planiform articles, in this instance envelope blanks in stack formation, intended to be replenished constantly in order that during the operation of the mechanism there may be substantially an uninterrupted succession of blanks in the position indicated in Fig. 1.

The topmost blank S is shown as engaged with a stop-rod 22 mounted in arms 23 provided with adjusting devices, as at 24, by which the stop may be set at a constant level to define the correct position of each successive blank for operation thereupon by the various working mechanisms.

Suitable elevator mechanism is indicated schematically at P which designates a platform on which the stack S may be advanced upwardly by known or suitable mechanism, as for example that disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 89,085 filed July 6, 1936.

In pursuance of the present invention, the blanks are removed seriatim from the stack S by means now to be described. The blanks are acted upon in turn, first by a combined hold-down and separator device (Fig. '7) including a yoke-shaped finger 25 at the end of an arm 26 held adjustably in a clamp 21 fitted upon a rock-shaft 2i journaled in the side frame member [2, and also supported by bearings 29 supported by a bracket 39. The arm 26 is oscillated with shaft 2| by a series of cranks and links 30-33 to be described, it being sufiicient at present to note that this motion is energized by a disc cam C on a shaft 35.

Means are provided to hold the forward edges of the blanks in suitably aligned position to be acted upon by the finger 25, and for this purpose I have shown a pair of adjustable abutment posts 36, carried by slotted brackets 31 bolted, as at 34, to the brackets 39 depending from cross-rods I 8, l9.

Each topmost blank s as it is separated at its forward edge from the stack S, is picked up by a transfer member T including a sucker nozzle N, the disposition of which for the pick-up operation is best seen by reference to Fig. 8. This nozzle constitutes the leading end of a tubular sucker arm, designated generally T, which is connected with a flexible hose 7. (see Fig. 1) leading from a suitable source of suction (not shown).

The sucker tube T is held adjustably in a split clamp 44 by which all of the motions necessary for operation of the sucker are communicated to the sucker nozzle. The supporting and operating means for the sucker arm clamp comprise various levers, links and springs, including a lever 4|, hereinafter called the first transfer lever, for the sake of brevity, which is fixed upon, and oscillated by, a rock-shaft 43 and is connected pivotally with the clamp 44 as at 46.

A control link 42 is connected pivotally, as at 48, to a lug 49 of clamp 44, and acts to govern the movements of the sucker arm, beingfixed at its other end to bracket 39, as by an eccentric screw stud or pin 5| (see Fig. 1) set in a sector 52, with a slot 53 and set-screw 54 to permit adjustment of the range of throw of the sucker T, in correspondence with the top position of the topmost blank s as determined by adjustment of stop rod 22. The sector 52 is centered on a larger stud 56 (Fig. 1) set in the bracket 39, and has a handle 55 to facilitate its manipulation.

Oscillation of the shaft 43 is produced preferably by means best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, and which may be described advantageously at this point in the specification. The means shown comprise a cam C" on cam shaft 58 which is driven by pinions 59, 6B of which the latter is journalled on a short shaft 8! mounted on frame member H and provided with a sprocket wheel 62 driven by a chain belt 63 running from a suitable source of power (not shown). It may be noted, in passing, that the shaft 58 is also fitted at each end (see Figs. 1 and 5), with a gear 64, 64 the former of which is meshed with an intermediate gear 65 acting to drive a pinion 56 on the shaft 61 by which the straight-line conveyor belts or chains 68 are actuated to effect final removal of the articles upon completion of transfer according to the present invention.

The cam C, accordingly, rotates with the shaft 58, and as means to make the cam C" effective to oscillate the shaft 43, a follower roller 51, engaged with the periphery of the cam C, is connected, by a link I0 and arm H, with the shaft 43, the follower being mounted, as at El, upon an arm I pivoted upon a stud 6. An arm 5 is rigid with the arm 1 and has connected thereto, at its free end, a coil spring 4 stretched from a post 3 on the frame member II, and acting to bias the follower roller 51 against the cam C".

When the roller 5! is engaged with either of the high lumps c, c" of the cam C", (see Fig, 2) the sucker T occupies a retracted high position, as indicated at T in Fig. 2, and similarly in Fig. 11; from which the sucker is urged to descend as the low region 6 of the cam C turns past the roller 51, and after the sucker nozzle N has been engaged operatively with the topmost sheet 3 of .the stack (see Fig, 8), the sucker is raised, lifting 6-11 inclusive) each carried by a system of arms 14, l5, 16, the parts 14 and "i5 being integral with each other preferably forming a knee at H, where a pivot stud is provided, to be described later herein. The upper end of each lever arm 15 is pivotally jointed at T3 to the uppermost part 16 of the series, the latter being provided with a slot I9 to slide freely on a stud 39. These studs, as illustrated in Fig. 1, are set, each in an extension 8| of one of the brackets 39. A coil spring 82, extended between each pivot '56 and a lug 83 on the part 84 of bracket 39, tends to draw its connected toggle joint 13 constantly toward action of coil springs 88 against plates 89 of yokes 90 pivotally mounted at 9! upon brackets 92 mounted between guide arms H4 extending from t e c oss-bar l6, (Fig. 1). In the system of each compound floating lever 14, I5 and I6, the pin 1! at the knee part between arm parts I4, I5, is formed as a headed stud secured to the rotatable member 93' associated with cam C (see Figs. 5 and 6) and is thus adapted to be swung toward and away from the rotors R R as the shafts 28 are turned by rotation of the gears 94,

64 and 64' (see Fig. 6 and Fig. 12), the gears 64 and 64' being fast on the shaft 58.

It is to be noted that the final pressure of rollers 13 against the middle pair R R of rotor discs is effected against the action of springs 82 (see Fig. 1) in breaking the toggle joints at I8, and at that time the short links I6 are pressed to the position shown in Fig. 1 from that shown in Fig. 11, this shift being permitted by the clearance in slots I9. When the compound levers I4, I5, I6 are free to be retracted to the position shown in Fig. 9 for shifting the roller I3 preparatory to picking up the end 2 of blank 8 which is being held by the sucker nozzle N as shown in Fig. 9, the springs 82 act to draw the links I6 rearward and downward and maintain them there, as shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, with a slight change of position upward, as made evident in Fig. 11.

When the blank s has been carried around through the arcuate path defined by the periphery of the rotors R-'R. to the upper level defined in Figs. 1 and 6 by the comb-like stripper-plate I60, the teeth IfiI thereof strip the blank from the rotors and shift it to the parallel chains 68, on which are provided studs, 98 adapted to enter the incut angles between the flaps, for the purpose of aligning the envelope blanks as they are advanced for delivery from the mechanism.

Suitable auxiliary hold-down or guide means are provided, as indicated at II3,'II4 and H5, above the blanks, and an auxiliary advancing and aligning means IE2 is also desirably provided as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, taking the form of a belt running over a pulley H33 rotatably mounted on a shaft I04 fixed adjustably in a slot I95 of a bracket I06 which is attached by a lug IBI to a cross-bar H of the frame (see Fig. 3). The bracket has a curved upper margin I08 which extends upward to a height suitable to act as a side guide for the belt I02 (see Fig. 6) and the other side of the belt is guided by a. curved member I09 which is extended at I I alongside of a trough-like part III adapted to receive the belt I02.. This belt member may be driven positively, as by a suitable pulley at its other end (not shown) and at such a speed relatively to the chains that the blanks are sumciently retarded to insure proper engagement of the blanks with the chain studs 98. An overhead drag device of known form (not shown) may also be provided to aid in effecting this alignment.

In Fig. 4 is shown a preferred structure of the rotors R and R which are therein illustrated as provided with friction surfaces H2 of suitable flexible, elastic material, such as rubber.

As has been briefly described above, means, comprising blades H3, H4, H5, H1 and H1", are provided for holding the blanks down upon the rotor discs RR in such a manner as to secure uniformity of feeding movement. These blades, curved in the form of a sickle, are carried by the cross member I6 spanning the space between the side members II and I2 of the frame. Thumb screws I I8 are provided to fix clamps I I6, holding the blades H3, H4 and H5 in adjusted positions laterally upon the cross-rod I6, and at least one of the guide-blades, as I I4, will preferably be curved suitably as illustrated in Fig. 5

to avoidinterference with, and by, the working parts at the center of the machine. The blades H1 and H1", which support the brackets SI and 92, are mounted upon a block III secured to the cross-bar I6 by a bolt III The preferred means for actuating the rotors R to R is illustrated in Fig. 12, where two of the rotors, viz., R and R are shown illustratively as typical members of the series, the shaft 58 and its associated parts being broken away at inter vals to permit condensation of the figure. A sleeve 58 is provided upon, and rotatable independently of, the shaft 58, and upon this sleeve are fixed, as by set-screws R, the hubs of the several rotors. The sleeve is rotated through back gearing 55, 155 and IE4, from the gear 64,

the last named gear being splined, as at 64 to the shaft 58, while the gear I64 is fixed, as by a set screw I84 to a terminal I66 of the sleeve I58 which overlies, and runs freely, upon a like co-axially disposed extension I61, of the hub I68 of the gear 64. The gear I65 is fast upon the hub I69 of the gear 65, so rotates at the same speed, and the gear I65, which is of the same diameter as gear 64, but has one less tooth, is mounted upon a long stud-bolt I'll], set in an aperture III of the frame member I2, as shown in Fig. 12, so that the gear I64 and sleeve I58 rotate at a slightly lower speed than the shaft 58.

The effect of this difference in timing is to avoid an undesirable repetition of contacts by the rollers I3 with the same point on the peripheries of the rotors when swung thereagainst by the arms I4. It will be understood, of course, that this desired effect can be produced either by a faster or slower timing of the rotors.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the mechanism constituting the subject matter of the above disclosure is adapted to operate upon diiferent sizes and shapes of envelopes or like planiform articles; and that in conjunction with suitable means for supplying blanks in stack formation continuously to a predetermined stop, the mechanism herein described is adapted to transfer the individualized envelopes or other blanks and deliver them rapidly, continuously and accurately in a right line run for any operation which may be performed advantageously upon such articles while being advanced successively along a right line path in the plane of their greatest dimension.

The manner in which the novel mode of transfer lends itself to speedy delivery in the same undivided order from a stack assembly may be made more apparent by a resume of the steps comprising the transfer operation, as follows:

Starting with the parts in the relative positions illustrated in Fig. '7, the top blank 5 of the stack S is ready for transfer, but is still held down by the member 25, while the sucker nozzle N is in its elevated position, where it has remained since the preceding blank was lifted by it; and the rollers i3 are still in approximately the position to which they were moved in shifting the preceding blank from the suction nozzle to the rotors R etc.:

In Fig. 3, the sucker nozzle N has advanced to its position of engagement with the topmost blank 8, thehold-down fingers 25 are being retracted and the rollers I3 have descended to a position where they clear the path for upward lift of the forward edge of the blank 8 and are ready to be swung under the lifted edge:

In Fig. 9 the sucker N is illustrated as having lifted the forward edge 2 upward past the holddown 25, which has been further retracted, and while the rollers 13 dwell, owing to the position of pins l1, whose connections with rotating member 93 permit the feed levers HI-15 to retain substantially their stationary position:

In Fig. 10 the levers I l-15 are moved forward under the free edge 2 of the blank, which has been released by cutting off the suction from noz zle N, and the parts are now ready to shift the edge 2 over against the periphery of the rotors R, etc.:

In Fig. 11 this shift has been accomplished, and the rollers 13 are positively held toward the periphery of the rotors R and R by the action of the levers 14l5, (Fig. 1) the springs 82 exerting a yielding bias upon the rollers 13 by breaking the toggle at 18, and rocking the lever 14-15 around its pivot Tl, this yielding restraint permitting the pivot 11 to raise the lever 'M'|5 upward under control by the link 16, so that the lever floats and accommodates itself to various thicknesses of blanks without the need for special adjustments:

During the above shifting operation, the sucker nozzle N has been raised to an upper position and the hold-down has again descended to its operative position of engagement with a top blank s of the stack:

Reverting again to Fig. 1, it will be seen that as the rollers 13 accompany the body of the blank for a certain distance in its arcuate path defined by the circumference of the rotors R etc., the levers 14-75 tend to be rocked against the bias of springs 82, and this counter-rocking action is, permitted by the play of slotted part 19 upon stud 80. The lever systems 14T5--16 accordingly afford a very sensitive but firm means for cooperating in the feeding of each blank in turn as it runs upward between the rotors and the series of rollers 85, 86 and 81, being delivered thereby to the co-operating action of belt I02 and chains 68, by the studs 98 of which the individualized blanks are aligned in the manner already described.

I have described what I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a mechanism for transferring planiform articles such as envelope blanks, of the class comprising means for supporting a stack of said articles in a predetermined upright path, and means to elevate the stack to bring each article therein successively to the topmost position of the stack at a constant, predetermined level; means for transferring each such successively topmost article individually in an arcuate path to a higher level, and thence to a tangent extension of said arcuate path, there delivering the articles seriatim for fabrication or further treatment, said means including a feeding rotor, an oscillating lever movable intermediate the top of the stack and the rotor to press the separated end of a blank against the rotor, a separator means to eifect said separation and present a free blank end in the path of said lever, and a series of rollers spaced around said rotor and adapted to cooperate therewith upon the blank to advanceit in said arcuate path to said point of tangent delivery.

2. A transfer mechanism comprising the instrumentalities combined and cooperating as set forth in claim 1, and further characterized by having a right-line conveyor means to which said blank is delivered from said rotor.

3. In a mechanism for transferring planiform articles such as envelope blanks, of the type comprising means for supporting a stack of said articles in a predetermined upright path, and means to elevate the stack to bring each article therein successively to the topmost position of the stack at a constant, predetermined level; and means for transferring each such successively topmost article individually in an arcuate path to a higher level, and thence to a tangent extension of said arcuate path, there delivering the articles seriatim for fabrication or further treatment; said transfer means being characterized by including an oscillating sucker arm to lift the leading edge of said topmost blank from the stack, a rotor and a series of spaced complemental rollers by which said arcuate path is defined and an intermediate transfer arm to receive said leading edge from said sucker device and shift it to said rotor.

4. A mechanism of the class described, comprising the elements combined and cooperating as set forth in claim 3, and further characterized by having said transfer arm adapted to hold said leading edge yieldingly against said rotor until its advance in the arcuate path is assured.

5. In a mechanism of the class described, in cluding a feeding rotor, a transfer arm formed of a series of components including a two-part toggle lever having a medial pivot spring biased to a broken position in which the free end of the arm series is urged toward said rotor.

6. A mechanism of the class described comprising the elements combined and cooperating as set forth in claim 5, and further characterized by having one end of said two part toggle-lever provided with a pin-and-slot fulcrum adapted to per mit shifting of said arm structure bodily under the urge of said spring-bias.

'7. A mechanism of the class described, comprising the elements combined and cooperating as set forth in claim 3, and further characterized by having said sucker device formed with a clamp in which a sucker nozzle is adjustable lengthwise, an oscillating supporting arm for said clamp, mounted on a rack-shaft, and a control-link connected to said clamp and anchored to a fixed support.

8. A mechanism of the class described, comprising the elements combined and cooperating as set forth in claim 3, and further characterized by having said sucker device formed with a clamp in which a sucker nozzle is adjustable lengthwise, an oscillating supporting arm for said clamp, mounted on a rack-shaft, and a control-link connected to said clamp and anchored to a fixed support, said anchorage including a sector mounted on an eccentric pivot, and adapted to control the throw of said control link and sucker adjustably.

9. A mechanism of the class described, comprising the elements combined and cooperating as set forth in claim 3, and further characterized by having said sucker device formed with a clam-p in which a sucker nozzle is adjustable lengthwise, an oscillating supporting arm for said clamp, mounted on a rack-shaft, and a control-link connected to said clamp and anchored to a fixed support, and means to rock said shaft reciprocating- 1y, comprising a cam, means to rotate said cam, a bell-crank lever having a cam-follower at the free end of one arm, a tension spring connected with the free end of the other arm of said bellcrank lever, and adapted to urge the cam-follower against said cam, an arm on the rock-shaft, and a link connecting said rock-shaft arm with said follower arm.

10. A mechanism of the class described, comprising the elements combined and cooperating as set forth in claim 1, and further characterized by having said rotor formed as a series of rotor discs mounted in parallel spaced-apart, disposition on a common shaft.

11. A mechanism of the class described, comprising the elements combined and cooperating as set forth in claim 1, and further characterized by having said rotor formed as a series of rotor discs mounted 'in parallel spaced-apart disposition on a common shaft, some of said rotor discs having an elastic friction periphery.

12. A mechanism of the class described, comprising the elements combined and cooperating as set forth in claim 1, and further characterized by having said rotor formed as a series of rotor discs mounted in parallel spaced-apart disposition on a common shaft, and a stripper device comprising a comb-like member extended in parallelism with said shaft adjacent to the peripheries of said discs and including pointed teeth extending respectively into the spaces between said discs,

13. A mechanism of the class described, comprising the elements combined and cooperating as set forth in claim 1, in which the rotor includes a series of discs, and further characterized by having a table-like guide means disposed to overhang said blanks as they pass from said rotor discs, a plurality of chain belt conveyors spaced apart laterally, and provided with aligning studs, and an auxiliary aligning belt device disposed intermediate said chain conveyor belts and adapted to be engaged frictionally with the under surfaces of the blanks to retard the same yieldingly to aid in causing engagement of the blanks with said aligning studs at each side compensatingly.

14. A mechanism of the class described, comprising the elements combined and cooperating as set forth in claim 1, and further characterized by having a series of knife-like guide blades disposed at intervals across the periphery of said rotor.

15. A mechanism of the class described, comprising the elements combined and cooperating as set forth in claim 1, and further characterized by having a series of knife-like guide blades dis: posed at intervals across the periphery of said rotor, at least one of said blades being curved intermediate its ends to avoid interference with coacting elements of said mechanism.

16. A mechanism of the class described, comprising the elements combined and co-operating as set forth in claim 1, and further characterized by having said rotor formed asa series of rotor discs mounted in parallel spaced-apart disposition on a common sleeve, a shaft on which said sleeve is mounted, and means to rotate said shaft and sleeve respectively at a desired ratio relatively to each other.

17. A mechanism of the class described, comprising the elements combined and co-operating as set forth in claim 1, and further characterized by having said rotor formed as a series of rotor discs mounted in parallel spaced-apart disposition on a common sleeve, a shaft on which said sleeve is mounted, and means to rotate said shaft and sleeve respectively at a desired ratio relatively to each other, said last-named means including back-gearing connecting said shaft and sleeve.

18. A feeding mechanism of the class described, comprising in combination a rotor, means to drive the, same, a feeding arm adapted to be swung toward and away from the periphery of said rotor from time to time to feed thereagainst in suc cession a multiplicity of blanks for advancement between said rotor, and the end of the arm by rotation of the rotor, and means for causing said swinging movements of the arm, said last-named means and the driving means for said rotor being so co-ordinated that the successive engagements of the rotor by said arm occur at regions of the rotors periphery suitably varied to avoid undue wear. l

19. A feeding mechanism comprising the elements combined and co-operating as set forth in claim 18, and further characterized by a shaft, means to rotate said shaft at predetermined speed, a sleeve on said shaft and carrying said rotor, and back-gearing connecting said shaft and sleeve, said back-gearing having a toothratio suitable to enable said shaft to drive said sleeve and rotor at the intended different speed relatively to the speed of rotation of said shaft.

20. A feeding mechanism comprising the elements combined and cooperating as set forth in claim 18in which a link is pivotally secured to one end of said feeding arm, said arm and link together forming a toggle joint.

21. A feeding mechanism comprising the elements combined and cooperating as set forth in claim 18 in which the feeding arm has an intermediate knee portion and the means for causing swinging movements of the arm comprises a rotary member pivotally connected to said knee portion.

22. A feeding mechanism comprising the elements combined and cooperating as set forth in claim 18 in which the feeding arm consists of a lever pivotally mounted at an intermediate point on the means which causes its swinging movements and further characterized by having a link connected to one end of said lever and yielding means for constantly urging the end portion of the lever towards the rotor.

ABRAHAM NOVICK. 

